PitchBook

It’s safe to say that VCs struck while the iron was hot this year where it concerned generative AI. While venture capital investments overall fell compared to last year thanks to macroeconomic challenges and other related factors, startups in the generative AI space — and AI more broadly — did quite well. Funding for AI-related startups surpassed $68.7 billion in 2023, according to PitchBook, with generative AI vendors like OpenAI, Stability AI and Anthropic accounting for a substantial portion…

Neuralink, Elon Musk's brain-implant company, has won US approval to test on humans. Here is what to know about the multi-billionaire's dream project to enable the human brain to communicate directly with computers.Cyborg future? Neuralink is a neurotechnology company co-founded by Musk along with a team of scientists and engineers in 2016 to build direct communication channels between the brain and computers. The aim is to supercharge human capabilities, treat neurological disorders like ALS or Parkinson's, and…

“I definitely believe that a large part of it as a space enthusiast.” That’s what Matthew Brown told CNBC on March 23, when asked why he was considering a $200 million investment into Virgin Orbit, a nearly bankrupt rocket company.He Tossed His Bitcoin, Now He Wants It BackA week later, that deal collapsed, and Virgin Orbit, which had begun to bring employees back to work in expectation of new funding, is facing the end. The company has ceased operations and will lay off some 675 employees, CEO Dan Hart said in a meeting…

After temporarily closing his leathermaking business during the pandemic, Travis Butterworth found himself lonely and bored at home. The 47-year-old turned to Replika, an app that uses artificial-intelligence technology similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT. He designed a female avatar with pink hair and a face tattoo, and she named herself Lily Rose.They started out as friends, but the relationship quickly progressed to romance and then into the erotic.As their three-year digital love affair blossomed, Butterworth said he and Lily…

New York Times: PitchBook: in 2022, investors pumped $1.37B+ into generative AI companies across 78 deals, almost as much as the investment in the previous five years combined — An investment frenzy over “generative artificial intelligence” has gripped Silicon Valley, as tools that generate text … New York Times: PitchBook: in 2022, investors pumped $1.37B+ into generative AI companies across 78 deals, almost as much as the investment in the previous five years combined …

India should create a regulatory body to classify online games as based on skill or chance, introduce rules to block prohibited formats and take a stricter stance on gambling websites, a government panel said in a report seen by Reuters. The panel of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's top officials has for months been drafting regulations for the country's online gaming sector, where foreign investors such as Tiger Global and Sequoia Capital have backed gaming startups Dream11 and Mobile Premier League, hugely popular for…

Harri Weber / TechCrunch: Vancouver-based Hootsuite plans to lay off 30% of its workforce, an estimated 400 people; PitchBook says the social media marketing company has raised $300M+ — Social media marketing firm Hootsuite says it has slashed its workforce by 30%. — “We need to refocus our strategies to drive efficiency … Harri Weber / TechCrunch: Vancouver-based Hootsuite plans to lay off 30% of its workforce, an estimated 400 people; PitchBook says the social…

Early last year, Masayoshi Son addressed his staff on a video call. At the time, startup companies were surging in value, but SoftBank 9984 -0.98% Group Corp. wasn’t investing in enough of them.His executives needed to persuade more companies to take their money, the Japanese billionaire lectured, according to former employees. Mr. Son, SoftBank’s chief executive, set up a spreadsheet tracking calls to companies and eased…